9/11 relative 'wants to lock eyes with son's killer'

THE man behind the September 11 attacks on New York was appearing before a military judge today with four alleged co-conspirators.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed faces a pretrial hearing at Guantanamo Bay and is expected to question the judge over any potential conflicts of interest that could stop him hearing the case.

Five relatives of victims of the 2001 al Qaeda attacks will observe the military commission.

The victims' family members, who were chosen by a Pentagon lottery system, will watch from a gallery at the rear of the cavernous, high-security courtroom. They will not be allowed to address the defendants.

Maureen Santora, whose fireman son Christopher was killed at the World Trade Center, says she wants to lock eyes with those accused of killing her son and 2,972 others in the bloodiest terrorist attacks ever on American soil.

President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to close the Cuban detention centre, which is holding about 250 men, soon after taking office on 20 January.

The defendants, who are representing themselves, face the death penalty. No trial date has been set, and it is unlikely that any will begin before Mr Obama takes office.